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Double Bass simple and inexpensive option for doubling?

neddyrow

neddyrow

www.simmerinstew.com
Apr 21, 2011
2,309
3,136
Cortland, NY
#1
believe me...i want a felix pretty bad but it's a little out of my price range right now.

i have been looking for an A/B pedal that also has separate outputs and having a little trouble. most of the switch boxes are A or B / A + B in some fashion but only have one output to the amp or 1 DI.

I have been doubling recently with my AI Ten2 Head (Clarus). it has two separate channels that i have been plugging each instrument into. it has been working but the controls are also geared towards having both on together. for example, even if i push the button that turns off channel 2, a signal from channel 2 is still being sent direct to the board. What i have been doing is using the volume controls on each channel of the amp and on my BG when i switch instruments.

since the setlist is geared more towards our guitar player switching from acoustic to electric (of course), sometimes i am in a rush to switch over and forget which knobs to turn down and up thus ruining my part of the intro of certain songs.

like i said, i'd like to get a felix since it has 2 separate inputs that also have their own separate outputs but, at 1K, i'm out of luck. also, i've tried most of the radial gear - JDV, PZ-Pre, ToneBone and disliked every one....no offense to radial lovers...i tried

this new Morley pedal seems to be one of the few options i've seen and at under 100 bucks, i figure it's worth a try.

Morley ABY Mixer & Combiner Guitar + Amp switch

any thoughts? experiences?
 
#4
Zbysek said:
I have no experience with this unit..so just a thought:

I understand the need for 2 DI outputs... But why do you want 2 outputs to the amp? How would it be helpful for you? Do you plan to use 2 amps? If yes, why don't you use them separately, i.e., without the need to mix/combine the signals of your 2 instruments?

Just my 2 cents..
Click to expand...

i may not be clear with my needs...i'll send a pic of my rig later today and try to explain again.
 
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#5
When Headway releases the new EDB-2 to the market, my guess is that the older ones left in stock will go down in price. In August this year I purchased a new EDB-2 v1 off of Amazon for $100.00 less

than the list price. I don't think their are any left. With the routing switch on the EDB-2 and a microphone stand mount you can toggle between Channel 1 and Channel 2 at the EQ and as I rememer there's no bleed into the DI out. If you have a Bass Guitar with a built in pre amp you can also switch the EQ section to only be used on the Double Bass channel. Just a thought.
 
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#7
Ric Vice said:
When Headway releases the new EDB-2 to the market, my guess is that the older ones left in stock will go down in price. In August this year I purchased a new EDB-2 v1 off of Amazon for $100.00 less

than the list price. I don't think their are any left. With the routing switch on the EDB-2 and a microphone stand mount you can toggle between Channel 1 and Channel 2 at the EQ and as I rememer there's no bleed into the DI out. If you have a Bass Guitar with a built in pre amp you can also switch the EQ section to only be used on the Double Bass channel. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

i looked at the headway but want 2 separate channels going out to the 2 separate channels on my amp
 
#8
from the first pic here, seems like the simple solution is just just turn channel 2 on/off when needed and get a mute for pedal for channel 1. problem is that even when the channel 2 button is off, the signal is still being sent out the DI
IMG_6261.jpg
here you can see my AI head has 2 channels that i'd like to send each individual instrument through as to have one point of eq/level adjustment - this is the best.
IMG_6262.jpg
here's the full setup with everything plugged in. as you can see i send my upright through a sarno black box and into channel 1. channel 2 is my BG plugged straight into the head.
IMG_6263.jpg
as i was saying, i'd like a box like a felix or the morley where i can send one instrument into one channel and the other into the other channel. i cant mute each one individually and would rather rely on a pedal over frantically turning knobs up and down between songs. does that make more sense?
IMG_6264.jpg
 
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#9
Just use two different preamps (usually foot switch only works as bypass) and like mentioned above two tuners muting if turned into tuning mode. No reason to use any kind of switch or similiar, if the signals are kept separate anyhow. With just a switch, you have to have a way of getting the right eq setting and volume for the different instruments. With the preamps you can use there volume nobs and eq to get the results you like using an amp set flat or an active speaker. You often have a DI out on preamps for connecting to front of house separately, too. The tuners you use for tuning your instruments and for switching off the signal path.
For example a cheap solution would be
https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_vtone_bass_bdi21_analog_modeling_preamp.htm
and
https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_tu300.htm
Together about € 42.- for each channel...
Most preamps with more then one input I know don't keep the channels separate, but allow only A / B or A+B

If you just want a switch for A / B and A+B (or Y), I would recommend
[This invalid link has been removed]
since you seem to prefere high end equipment.
 
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#13
Thanks for all the advice!

here’s the sequence of events when I change instruments currently:
1. Start on DB (channel 1) play a couple songs - volume knob on amp for channel 2 (BG)is at zero
2. To switch to electric I have to walk back to amp hold DB to adjust knobs as to not cause any feedback or hum - kinda cumbersome on smaller stages.
3. Set DB down and pick up electric.
4. Adjust knobs to get electric going.

this takes too long in between songs when we want to have as little dead time between songs as possible.

The reason for the pedal is I’d like to just mute DB so I can immediately set it down without worry. Then I can grab electric and hit the pedal to start playing the next song on BG.
 
#14
neddyrow said:
Thanks for all the advice!

here’s the sequence of events when I change instruments currently:
1. Start on DB (channel 1) play a couple songs - volume knob on amp for channel 2 (BG)is at zero
2. To switch to electric I have to walk back to amp hold DB to adjust knobs as to not cause any feedback or hum - kinda cumbersome on smaller stages.
3. Set DB down and pick up electric.
4. Adjust knobs to get electric going.

this takes too long in between songs when we want to have as little dead time between songs as possible.

The reason for the pedal is I’d like to just mute DB so I can immediately set it down without worry. Then I can grab electric and hit the pedal to start playing the next song on BG.
Click to expand...


As has been suggested, if you want to continue using your existing amp, put the tuner in the signal path of the UB. When you are ready to switch to BG, engage the tuner and this will mute the UB. Next pick up your BG, roll on the bass's volume, and you are ready to play.

If you don't want to deal with the volume on the BG, get a second tuner. This is the solution if you don't want to drop big bucks on something like the Headway.

The way I solved the problem was to use an Ashley MX508 rackmixer. I ran Shure A95U line matching transformers so I could plug into the mic inputs. When I was ready to put an instrument down, I toggled the Line/Mic switch on the associated channel, which acted like a mute switch. My audio tech took an XLR off the mixer instead of running a DI for the three instruments I played.
 
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#15
Wasnex said:
As has been suggested, if you want to continue using your existing amp, put the tuner in the signal path of the UB. When you are ready to switch to BG, engage the tuner and this will mute the UB. Next pick up your BG, roll on the bass's volume, and you are ready to play.
Click to expand...

I have done this when doubling and running parallel signals and it probably is the easiest solution. Hit the tuner, lay the DB down, pick the electric off the stand, volume on and back in business.
 
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#16
61DPjDf23FL._AC_SL1200_.jpg

61uLMffvZmL._AC_SL1200_.jpg


I use one of these for doubling. Two DIs out, two effects loops plus master effects, phase for each channel, XLR or 1/4" in, limited phantom power, tuner, etc. Other than not having a mute button for each channel—and it being a bit of a brick with an AC adapter and no battery option (like my beloved dead Raven Labs version)—it's great. Sadly, no longer made but easy to find.
 
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#17
Last time I had to do something like what you are looking for, I did it one of two ways. One was with a Radial Bassbone preamp with each bass plugged into it and a single output to the amp (i.e., 1 channel amp). The Bassbone gives you different levels and eq for each bass. The second was using a two channel amp - Genzler Magellan 800, different settings in channel 1 and 2 tailored to each bass. Used an ABY pedal to switch between the basses, manually switched between channel 1 and 2 on the amp according to which bass was needed. I believe that you can also get a footswitch for the Magellan to change from channel 1 to 2.
 

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